2006-12-01 23:23:06 · 35 answers · asked by Dan 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Royalty
They have a number of functions.
First the Queen is the Head of State. A bit like the President in the USA although the title is hereditory here in the UK.
She has many powers which are called the royal prerogative, most of these powers are exercised on her behalf by the Government Ministers, things such a taxes, issue of passports etc.
There are also various powers which only she can exercise but will do this on the advice from the Prime Minister.
One of her main roles is to appoint a Prime Minister, this doesn't nessesarily have to be the leader of the majority party in parliament but in keeping with tradition and to keep the public happy the leader of the Majority party is always chosen.
She also has the power to dissolve parliament.
She is also Head of the British Armed forces and although it is the MOD which keeps control of the forces it is not uncommon for the Prime Minister to ask permission of the Queen to send her forces into battle.
The Royal Family also give a certain sense of pride about this country. I for one like them and I know if ever a corrupt Goverment tried to take power from them I would stand firmly on the side with the royals, along with most of the nation. This is also why the Queen remains head of the armed forces, the armed forces are sworn to protect the sovereignty of the UK and her territories.
The royals also do lots of charity work and have many interest in various fields such as architecture, agriculture etc.
A number of royals also serve in the armed forces, with recent additions being Prince William and Prince Harry
2006-12-02 01:24:05 · answer #1 · answered by Steve 2 · 4⤊ 1⤋
1. Support tourism and media industries.
2. An institution that helps to maintain social cohesion on a pan political level. Note her 'love or hate em', the function is served.
3. Someone (HRH) other than God to take oaths to, enact the Law in the name of and to go on the money. Arbitrary, but incumbent. And alternate candidates are tricky, abstract ideas just sound silly. People like a personal figure head. Charities and Military particularly patronised.
4. Royal Functions like opening hospitals, bridges and other places.
5. Handing out gold stars to people for good behaviour (OBE/MBE/KGE/HGV/Loads of medals). Thus encouraging more good behaviour.The Gold Star system has been proven by Psychologists to work.
6. Estate agency and other businesses like food production.
2006-12-01 23:45:42 · answer #2 · answered by mince42 4 · 5⤊ 0⤋
For a start, they do not leach off the country. They are not payed by the Treasury to live it up, but to carry out their official duties. This was about £37 million last year, only about 62p per person in the UK.
Even so, the vast majority of the Queens money comes from her large land holdings and private investments.
To quote the royal site:
"Head of State expenditure is met from public funds in exchange for the surrender by The Queen of the revenue from the Crown Estate. In the financial year to 31 March 2006 the revenue surplus from the Crown Estate paid to the Treasury amounted to £190.8 million.
Head of State expenditure for 2005-06 was £37.4 million."
http://www.royal.gov.UK/output/Page4965.asp
As you can see she pays the treasury far more than they pay her. It makes you wonder why they even pay her out of the treasury in the first place if she pays it all back, but the end result is the same, she pays the country more than they pay her, and she bring in tourism.
The Royals are something to be proud of in this country, they are part of our history and heritage, and a symbol of our country, in the same way the flag is, but infinitely more so. You cannot claim to be patriotic without accepting the Queen.
She is an unelected, and thus neutral, head of state, unlike other elected head of states in other countries.
And, what does she do in this country was bad? She doesn't leach money or sponge off the country, as I have already mentioned, the only people who oppose her are left winged socialists who feel it unfair that someone should have so much power and money by right of birth. Unfair this may be, but taking power away from them will never solve any wrongs, but would more likely cause many as it would need a complete overhaul of our political system, and I don't trust the government to do that. If they were no longer monarchs they'd probably become richer, as I doubt they would feel the need to pay the treasury that surplus revenue, and they already pay tax.
2006-12-02 02:21:19 · answer #3 · answered by AndyB 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Mostly ambassadorial and encouraging good relations with other countries. They also lend some cachet to charity events, open hospitals and schools, are patrons of good causes. They are not corrupt as they are well off in their own right and do not line their pockets like many foreign presidents do. They really have a public relations job more than any actual power. Unlike the prime minister and his "friends", they do not charge into other people's countries or declare war against the will of the people.
PS. The French revolution was in 1789, by the way, not 1798 and a terrible bloodbath which hit every strata of society. If you happened to displease your neighbour, that was a good reason to send you to the guillotine whether you were guilty or not of anything.
2006-12-01 23:40:12 · answer #4 · answered by WISE OWL 7 · 5⤊ 1⤋
Dutch Hardcore
2006-12-03 23:42:57 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Have all the adults left this site and the vacuum filled by delinquent teenagers? Just read the comments so far, infantile and puerile don't do them justice!
The adult answer to this question is that having a constitutional Monarchy, the function of the Royal Family is to (primarily) provide the next monarch and (secondarily)assist the Monarch to perform his/her duties as required by State.
See there, children, it wasn't a difficult question.
2006-12-01 23:36:26 · answer #6 · answered by Raymo 6 · 5⤊ 3⤋
They give some people in this country something to whinge about.
God Save the Queen.
2006-12-02 02:34:28 · answer #7 · answered by sarch_uk 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Brings more cash into the country in the form of silly tourists than you'll ever see
2006-12-02 00:16:09 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Our Royal family are our main ambassadors ,
to the rest of the world .
They represent a continuity ( a link between past and present)
They are our figure-head
We are honored and proud to have a monarchy
Without them ,we would not have the backbone,
to face this, often hostile world
They are always there and for us , which is very reassuring .
>^,,^<
So, they cost an 'arm and a leg '.... but worth every penny !
2006-12-01 23:52:40 · answer #9 · answered by sweet-cookie 6 · 5⤊ 2⤋
Nothing terribly useful Their supporters will obviously say otherwise and that they do a valuable job but personally if the royal family no longer existed I feel we (the British public) would save money and not miss them at all.
2006-12-01 23:39:22 · answer #10 · answered by ANON 4 · 3⤊ 3⤋